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Picture source: Stephen Richards

The Bedford Park Hotel was situated at 223 Streatham High Road, closing in 2009.

My grandmother was the wife of the landlord, Charles Perham, and worked in the bar of this pub from about 1895-1903. Her name was Lucy Gaymer, the daughter of an East End publican Philip Gaymer, who ran beer-houses and brewed his own beer with Lucy’s help. Her husband’s parents held the license during their occupation. Charles Perham died of alcoholism aged 34, in the pub, on 11 December 1901, Lucy produced two children by Perham at the pub and managed it on her own after his demise, becoming known to the regulars as ‘The Duchess’. She continued as landlord until she left in November 1903 to marry my grandfather, she died in 1963. Her daughters told me that she loved her time working there and said it was a very busy hotel, full of atmosphere, with a staff of sometimes more than 16. I went there in 2008 and again in 2009, and indeed it was grim. The Victorian bar was fantastic with many what must have been original features, and there were historic photos of it all around the bar. In 2008 there was mentioned that the current LV was being replaced and a makeover was intended. I wrote to the brewery owners expressing the hope the original features would be enhanced, but received no response, and found, in 2009, that no such makeover had been done and the place was in terminal decline. The licensees during my grandmother’s time there were Frederick Perham and Fanny Purchase.

David Hawken (August 2012)

This pub is seen in the 1955 Arthur Askey film The Love Match which is set in Lancashire!

David Reed (January 2018)

Local musicians used to use upstairs as a rehearsal room where The Lonesome Whistle Blues Band was formed. Later the room was used as a ‘Jam Night’ on many occasions and on one particular 50th Birthday ‘Jam’ the musicians that played that night were joined by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin who happened to be a long time friend of Pete Calvert who’s 50th party it was.

Tony, original drummer for Lonesome Whistle (May 2024)

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Name Dates Comments Brett Nuske 1992 My wife and I worked in this Youngs Brewery pub.